Can ConCor S-2 engines be "remotored?"

[mmagliaro]

Your engine couldn't be quite as old as 30 or 35.  These didn't come out until the mid 80s.  If it goes back 25-27 years,
then it's the Kato for sure.   If you flip it over and can see bronze bearing blocks on each axle, then it's the later
Con-Cor version.  But if it's as old as you say, I doubt you'll see any bearings.  The axles ran in the raw frame
on the Kato.  BTW, now that I think about it, that may be the reason Kato made that frame out a solid, hardened
brass, so that the axles wouldn't wear the frame slots as it ran.   It sure does make for wonderful weight and pulling
power.

[spookshow]

Jeez, this is not that confusing. They are Kato-made S-2's. They are not DCC-Ready.

-Mark

[mmagliaro]

Jeez, this is not that confusing. They are Kato-made S-2's. They are not DCC-Ready.

-Mark

Ha ha....      
Mark's website does an excellent job of writing up the versions of this engine, their variations, and when they were produced. 

I have one.  It is a positively a Kato, and 12703 is the number on the pilot truck. 
Roger's receipt date: 1987,  That is long before Con-Cor made theirs.

Absolutely, Roger, yours is a Kato S-2.

[spookshow]

It also underscores the problem of trying to find the answer to this question via a "simple" Google search which lead me to this website.  That implies, the engine can be converted, but a new weight must be purchased on the tender.
http://www.trainweb.org/nrmrc/dcc/plugnplay.html

That website is correct, but it's also talking about a completely different version of the S-2 than the one you have.

Try here instead -

http://www.visi.com/~spookshow/concors2.html

-Mark

[sizemore]

Like I said. "If I am not mistaken..." Roger has posted quite a number of photos of his Blue GS-4's, which I assumed he was talking about. Simple mistake no need to get feathers ruffled.

The S.

[spookshow]

Roger, what road name are your Con-Cor S-2's? GN? If you're married to that, you could get a couple of the Rail Baron 4-8-4's (any road) and just swap shells. That would give you both the slower motor and DCC.

I've never actually tried such a swap myself, but it seems like it should work. Feel free to chime in if you think otherwise, I promise not to ruffle 

-Mark

[mmagliaro]

Ah, right.  You have two issues here, right?   DCC  and a slower motor.

It should not be hard to convert one of these to DCC.  The tender cavity is large.

The motor needs to be isolated from the frame, but that is relatively easy.  You could loosen the frame screws, pop the motor out, and insulate it with some thin styrene or the ever-poplar Kapton tape.  In my case, I was dropping a stainless steel coreless can motor in there.  I had to wrap the whole thing in tape to keep it from shorting the frame halves together, so I ended up isolating the motor (even though I left mine DC).

The wiring, well, that will mean delicate soldering and lots of fine wires.
Hard-wiring the motor from decoder outputs (from the tender) would work, and if you want to preserve
the electrical pickup from the engine, then you'll need 2 more wires going from the engine frame halves back
to the tender to feed the decoder.  You could use the existing drawbar pressure wires, but I don't recommend them.   They are just not reliable enough for me, so I hard-wire everything.
If you want the headlight to be DCC controlled, then you have yet 2 more going from tender to engine (the dreaded "6 wire harness"). 

It can all certainly be done.  It will just take some work. 

All I can tell you is that the engine itself is a mighty fine runner when it's tweaked.

[Guilford Guy]

I've got three Arnold S-2 switchers (I realize that's not the topic ) that I'm decodering for a guy.  He's got them all dolled up with NWS wheel sets, and other than a little Alco growl, they run great.  I may have to break down and get a couple of them with all the switching duties I've got on the layout.

Lee

You should probably hold out just a little bit longer... You may find something better than an arnold model available soon.